Does Your Child Need SAT Help?

As your child looks toward college, how important is it to get outside help to prepare for the SAT or ACT standardized tests?

Factors to consider include your child’s learning style, available time and family budget — and whether your child needs to get ready for the tests at all.

It is also important to keep the right perspective. While standardized test scores continue to be an important admission criterion for some colleges, others schools do not require them, and most colleges also consider grades,
activities and other factors when reviewing applicants.

How Important is the SAT/ACT?

The National Association for College Admission Counseling’s 2009 survey of admission trends (representing almost 70 percent of all four-year, nonprofit degree- granting institutions) showed that grades in college prep courses and strength of curriculum were the two top factors in admission decisions. Standardized test scores ranked third.